THE STATUS OF FACULTY SENATES IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Shared governance plays an important role in institutional decision making. The extent to which faculty are involved in governance, though, has largely been ignored within community colleges. The current study was designed to profile faculty governance units, such as senates, in community, junior, and technical colleges in order to initiate a constructive dialogue about how best to build structures that allow faculty input into decision making. An exploratory survey of faculty governance in community colleges was mailed to a apurposive national sample of community colleges to provide geographic representation. Findings reveal that governance bodies are less common that perhaps previously thought, and that these structures tend to be more informal than in their 4-year college counterparts.     

Speaking Personally—With Susan C. Aldridge

Researchers conducted a national survey of administrators at doctorate-granting universities to determine the current status of institutional policies and practices related to the organization and governance of online courses, faculty incentives to develop and teach online, and course ownership. Survey results document a wide variation in policies and practices, yet they also identify common practices. About 82% of the universities gave extra pay to faculty to develop online courses, and 94% provided campus-based faculty development workshops or training on online education. The large majority of institutions hired professional course designers (84%) and provided technical assistance to students (86%). Another 84% had an intellectual property policy in place or were developing one, and 77% shared revenues from online courses with academic colleges, schools, or departments. Although these practices existed on campuses, they were not always instituted campuswide. The researchers found statistically significant relationships for a number of faculty incentives and support services and faculty willingness to be involved in online education.     

Two Sides of the Same Coin? Analysis of Faculty and Administrators’ Perspectives on Governance

This study explored institutional governance in an Alabama public two-year community college and investigated the perceptions of faculty and administrators within this sector. To answer the research questions for this study, a quantitative cross-sectional survey utilizing inferential analysis of the collected data was employed. To analyze the perceptions of Alabama community college faculty members and administrators regarding their interactions in institutional governance, three quantitative research questions were used. The research questions were analyzed based upon participant responses from the survey instrument. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was the statistical method used to determine if any significant differences in perception existed between faculty and administrators. The results of the study revealed that a significant difference existed between faculty and administrator perceptions with respect to institutional structure and shared governance, but no significant difference existed between faculty and administrators perceptions with respect to supervisory relationships. Considering the findings and conclusions of the present study, the researchers made recommendations related to institutional governance.     

A Participative/Bureaucratic Model of Administration as Perceived by Directors of Occupational Education

Abstract

This study was designed and undertaken to ascertain the administrative models (participative versus bureaucratic) operating within the nation's public community colleges, as perceived by those charged with occupational education. The research design viewed the community college as a dichotomy of administration and faculty. Questions concerning the perceived degree of administration and faculty involvement in major educational issues were solicited from directors of occupational education.

Data for the research were obtained via a questionnaire that gathered biographical and attitudinal information. The usable sample consisted of 282 colleges selected at random from a population of nearly 1,000 public community colleges. Various influence patterns of key functions (curriculum, budget, facilities, and governance) were assessed to determine the role and involvement of faculty and administration. An argument was made to suggest a participative model of administration as a viable mode of administering the public community college. The findings of the research suggested, however, that faculty and administration had different and varying roles of responsibility. The faculty were more involved in departmental and nonbudgetary matters, whereas monetary, governance, and planning issues were functions of the college administration.     

Shared Governance among the new Majority: Non-Tenure Track Faculty Eligibility for Election to University Faculty Senates

Non-tenure track faculty members (NTTF) constitute what has been referred to by scholars as the new faculty majority. The growing numbers of NTTF have led to debates about the role they should play in shared governance. Currently, however, an overall lack of empirical knowledge exists regarding the status of their involvement in institutional governance. Using data from highest research activity doctoral universities, this study investigated current standards related to NTTF eligibility for election to institution-wide faculty senates. We also explored what these faculty governance standards and criteria reveal about the status and position of NTTF within the professoriate.     

Conditions influencing faculty voting in collective bargaining elections

This research examines the factors that influenced voting behavior in two faculty union defeats at New York University. Faculty members' and librarians' demographic and professional characteristics referred to in previous research on collective bargaining were not good predictors of how they voted in these elections. However, their satisfaction with conditions at NYU, especially satisfaction with participation in governance, was a strong predictor of how they voted. Furthermore, faculty characteristics were found to influence their satisfaction with conditions. This paper also discusses the importance of the swing votes cast in a run-off election by the members of a previously defeated third party and the influence on the election outcomes of an independent group of faculty members opposed to unionization.     

Critical incidents for new and experienced college and university presidents

Twenty-six college and university presidents, 12 new and 14 experienced, were interviewed and asked to report at least four incidents which they felt had been critical to their effectiveness as presidents. One hundred and twelve incidents were collected and then analyzed using a modification of the Critical Incident Technique. The great majority of the incidents (94.6%) were found to involve the internal affairs of the institution. Students were found to be involved in more incidents than any other group, followed by the faculty and then the administration. Finances and campus unrest led the list of factors precipitating the incidents, followed by staffing-related concerns and governance issues. Implications for new and experienced presidents are discussed.     

美国一流大学教师在院校管理中的作用分析

美国一流大学都非常重视发挥教师在院校管理中的作用。文章简要回顾了美国一流大学教师在院校管理中所起作用的演变历史,阐述了以共同治理理念为基础的教师评议会制度的形成、发展和完善的过程,并分析了美国学术职业的工会化倾向对美国一流大学中教师在院校管理中所起作用的影响。     

中国式“教授治校”和“教授治学”的理论分歧与制度耦合

大学内部治理模式中,“教授治校”和“教授治学”在历史渊源、内涵界定、权力侧重以及价值诉求等方面都存在差异,既呈现理论上的分野,也有着制度上的耦合。实现“教授治校”与“教授治学”的制度耦合,是当代中国大学内部治理改革的基本逻辑和必然发展,也是立足国情、化繁为简、平复争议的有效路径和可行方案。在“治校”和“治学”制度耦合的整体设计上,不但要保持两种模式灵活转化的张力,也要在维护教授权力的基础上避免行政化管理惯性,促进学术的民主与自由。在“治校”和“治学”制度耦合的路径策略上,可以从完善行政管理体制和改革学术管理组织出发,整合学校教授群体的资源,构筑教授权力的实现平台,建立教授主体参与的保障机制,以增强教授治校和教授治学制度耦合的可行性与有效性。     

Unionization and the canadian university: Historical and personal observations

In 1949–50 Canadian professors, reacting to historically low salaries and inadequate pensions, founded the Canadian Association of University Teachers. Although its early concerns were economic, by the late 1950s the interest of the organization was spreading to issues of academic freedom and tenure and, related to it, university government. Having opened a national office in Ottawa, the CAUT soon championed an increased role for professors in governing their institutions. The bookA Place of Liberty (Whalley, 1964) eloquently made the claim for faculty empowerment. This movement also gained strength from the shortage of qualified staff in the 1960s and the resulting need of universities to improve terms and conditions of employment. Although faculty involvement in governance grew, by the mid-1970s many faculty members were embracing faculty unionization. This initiative had for years repelled most professors because it seemed unprofessional. However, deteriorating finances created a condition in which especially junior staff turned to faculty unions for protection. Not all Canadian universities became unionized. In spite of dire warnings about the effects of unionization, it does not seem that unionized universities today offer less scope for faculty participation in governance than the non-unionized.     

COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY GOVERNANCE LEADERS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY

Faculty governance units are widely used in community colleges to provide a sounding board for policy formation and decision making. Typically based on a representative democracy, these units must be both responsive to peer faculty members as well as the college's central administration. As a result of being structurally in the middle of the decision-making process, effective communication is paramount to faculty governance unit leader success. This study profiles individuals in the faculty governance leadership position, including their written and oral communication apprehension levels, and the relationship of this apprehension to job-related stressors.     

Governing public universities in Arab countries

Traditionally in Arab public universities, presidents are appointed by government authorities. Recently, in uprising Arab countries universities' presidents have been elected by universities' faculty members. Neither traditional nor self-governance pattern succeeded to modernise Arab universities. Reforming patterns of governance is critical for improved productivity and accountability in Arab universities. Applying the modern pattern of university governance depends on the country's political system and extent of democracy. Arab countries need to establish an improved process of searching for leadership candidates. Improving patterns of universities' governance in Arab countries can lead to improving higher education and research and enhancing competitiveness among faculty members.     

从权力主体角度看“教授治校”

"教授治校"的权力主体当然是"教授","教授"是大学权力主体的表征。"教授治校"制度是对大学学术机构本质的认同,"教授治校"存在的合法性与合理性在于它客观地反映了大学作为特殊学术机构的性质和特点。"教授治校"是大学管理权力主体的归位,中国大学内部治理结构变革应当充分借鉴西方大学普遍实施的"教授治校"的管理模式,真正赋予教师在大学管理中的权力和地位。     

Who governs? Academic decision-making in US four-year colleges and universities, 2000–2012

This study compares the explanatory power of two models of academic governance: dual and managerial control. The research is based on characterizations by chief academic officers of the primary decision-makers involved in 13 types of recurrent academic decisions. We examine change between responses to surveys fielded to US four-year colleges and universities in 2000 and 2012. We find limited support for the dual control and the managerial control models in both years. As an alternative to the two dominant conceptual models, we develop an empirically grounded classification based on multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. In each year we find high faculty participation and management-dominant clusters. The other identified clusters do not map well onto either of the two dominant conceptual models. Given these results, we argue that configurational analysis should be used as a supplement to future studies monitoring the incidence of dual and managerial control in academic governance.     

法国高等教育管理体制变革中的教师学术职业

法国作为中央集权管理体制的典型代表,正经历着高等教育分权的变革。大学自治对教师职业存在的重要影响,在学术责任、聘任与晋升制度、质量评估等方面,表现为教师流动性低、教学与研究结合困难、评估缺乏激励性、学术职业前景黯淡等。增强大学的自主性、改革僵化的管理体制是解决学术职业发展中的矛盾的重要前提。     

TURNOVER INTENT IN AN URBAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE: STRATEGIES FOR FACULTY RETENTION

High rates of faculty turnover can be costly to the reputation of an institution and to the quality of instruction. Community colleges may expect high rates of faculty turnover as an aging workforce retires. Other sources of attrition, however, can be attributed to organizational characteristics and the structural properties of faculty work. This study examined non-retirement turnover intent in an urban community college. Specifically, the study utilized an expectancy theory framework to explore the relationship between turnover intent and faculty perceptions of autonomy, organizational support for innovation, and collegial communication. The study population included all full-time faculty members employed by an urban community college in the southeastern U.S. Survey responses from 66% (N = 149) of the invited population revealed that organizational support for innovation had the strongest effect on turnover intent. Faculty who reported higher levels of support for innovation were less likely to indicate intentions to leave. Findings suggest that community colleges can target innovation and organizational change as vehicles for enhancing faculty retention rates. Change initiatives related to curriculum, governance, and faculty development can be designed in ways that facilitate faculty commitment to the institution.     

21世纪美国大学治理面临的挑战及其对中国的启示

21世纪的美国大学治理面临来自内外的诸多挑战,本文试从政府的影响、董事会治理、大学自治和教职治理四个方面进行阐述,旨在为中国大学治理提供有益的启示.本文认为,中国政府在大学治理上应该做有限政府,对大学适度宏观控制;建立和健全有利于大学与政府间中介组织健康发展的法律法规;尊重大学发展的内在逻辑,做到大学有限积极自治、逐步实现政校分开;进行体制创新,教职治理"重心"必须下移,切实赋予教师在学术事务上的实质性权力.     

Localism in faculty governance and participation in the reward system

Faculty at a Midwestern university were classified as either locals or nonlocals on the basis of the institution that awarded their degrees. Nonlocals had earned all of their degrees from universities outside the state; locals received at least one of their degrees at an in-state university. Locals participated most often in the governance system and received significantly higher salaries despite slightly lower research-creativity productivity than nonlocals. Women faculty reversed this pattern for governance with nonlocals participating most often.     

Collective bargaining goals of university faculty

This paper examines the collective bargaining goals of 1,800 faculty members at eight Canadian universities. A particular focus of the study was the relationship between bargaining goals and traditional academic governance. The results of the analysis showed that faculty distinguish firmly between academic and nonacademic issues and deliberately choose to restrict the scope of bargaining to a relatively narrow range of issues involving money, job security, and grievance procedures. A major factor influencing this restricted bargaining scope was the confidence with and perceived influence of the traditional system of academic governance. The way in which the governance system functions helps determine whether academic and policy issues reach the bargaining table, suggesting that strong governance structures are not threatened by the advent of collective bargaining.     

Collegiality as a Factor in Tenure Decisions

The successful governance of the academic business of the university depends on cooperation. While disagreements play a vital role in any decision-making process, university faculty and administrators may seek to use the tenure process to deny tenure to nontenured faculty whose contributions have been divisive and disruptive. To date, no court has found that the use of collegiality in making tenure decisions is inappropriate. However, judicial conflicts arise as to whether collegiality has been invoked in a manner that is discriminatory or violative of free speech. Because collegiality is concerned with conduct rather than such academic matters as publication records or numbers of courses taught, it is likely to be a suspect factor to faculty members who have been denied tenure.